BEER RECIPE – Corona Cupcakes With Cream Cheese & Lime Frosting

What better way to celebrate the Battle of Puebla than these totally Americanized desserts!

Mrs. Chef Richie and I love to cook meals based around (basically) every holiday. Like all of them. Not to the point that we’re only eating salads on Arbor Day, but we’ll pretend we’re from south of the border every time Cinco De Mayo comes around just like we’re both Irish for a day in March.

We’ve decided to have some friends over for a little fiesta and while I’ve got the main course on lockdown – with Shredded Chicken Soft Tacos, Guac and plenty of Coronas on ice – I was struggling to pick a dessert to make that wasn’t flan or churros. This party needs some cupcakes, but how could I make them a little more festive? Why, with beer of course.

Adding beer to cupcakes may seem a little strange to most. I’ll admit that I was even a little skeptical as to how these would come out while putting them together. But the little bit of hop flavor that comes through in each bite blends well with the cream cheese and lime in the frosting to create a sweet and subtly savory dessert. If you aren’t afraid to think “outside the box” (pun intended) when making your cupcakes this recipe is right up your alley!

Preheat your oven to 375 and line 2 cupcake tins with cupcake papers (or heavily spray the cupcake tins if you’re not a paper person). In a bowl, sift the flour & baking powder together. This, along with the bubbles from the beer, will make the cupcakes a little more light and airy. In a mixing bowl (I used my KitchenAid but you can use a metal bowl if you’re using an old-school hand mixer) combine your butter and sugar until fully combined and fluffy. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl often while mixing so everything is incorporated. Once combined, add the eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla and the lime zest. In a liquid measuring cup, combine the beer and the milk (here’s where I started to have my doubts. Beer + Milk doesn’t seem like it should mix unless we’re eating Beerio’s). With your mixer on low, combine the flour mix into the butter/sugar mix while alternating in the beer/milk mix. Make sure to start and end with the flour mix. I know that seems confusing, it kinda looks like this:

Flour-beer-flour-beer-flour-boom!

Once the mix is fully combined fill the cupcake papers 2/3 full and bake for roughly 20 minutes, or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean. Let cool completely while you make your icing!

In your KitchenAid (or hand mixer) add the cream cheese & butter with the whip attachment and mix until combined and peaks begin to form – roughly 2-3 minutes. Once combined, add the zest & lime juice. Once that is incorporated, add the powdered sugar in intervals, stopping when the desired sweetness is reached.

I chose to garnish with some lime zest but you could easily garnish with lime wedges or even a Corona bottle cap. This recipe can also work with other beers, just be sure to adjust the flavor of the icing to reflect the change. I’ll be trying this with Blue Moon soon so I’ll switch to orange zest & juice but I’m sure this will work with a myriad of different flavors!